Dueling Waterfalls
by Bestogoddess
Summary: So, I'm alive. Why am I alive? And who is this dumb goddess telling me how I lived my life and calling me an idiot? Let's see how she likes being dragged from her pedestal. How bad could it end up, anyways?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is something I wanted to try out. Don't know why I'm putting more stuff like this onto my ever expanding plate of stories to finish, but what the hell. Let's see where this goes.**

* * *

Kyouko's footsteps echoed through the train station. Sayaka didn't bother to look up to greet her. Instead, she let her stillness speak, unmoving to anyone who would come to meet her. In her hands, she clutched the instrument of her death, covered in her hands. Not that it did any good.

"I finally found you." She was exasperated, probably having come from halfway across Mitakihara to meet her here.

She didn't look up.

Kyouko was, of course, oblivious to any of her wants, taking a seat right next to her and opening a small tin of chips.

"Just how stubborn do you plan to be?"

 _Go away._ She thought. Not to her, but to anyone who would dare to approach her.

What came out instead was "I'm sorry for wasting your time." Her voice was emotionless, still not bothering to look up at the girl who had come to comfort her.

"What? You're not acting like yourself."

 _What the hell gave that away?_

"I guess I just don't care anymore. I can no longer remember what I was trying to protect, or what was so important to me" She softly replied. Kyouko's eating continued. Whether or not she was paying attention was questionable, but she somehow wanted to believe that she was.

"It's all blank now. Nothing makes sense anymore."

"Hey..." was all Kyouko replied. At the very least, she knew she was listening.

She uncovered her hands to reveal her gem. At this point, she wasn't sure if it was blue or black or even if it mattered.

A startled gasp escaped Kyouko's mouth.

"Balance means hope and despair have to balance themselves out, right? That's what you said, or something like it. I get what you meant now."

Kyouko said nothing, still in shock at what she was witnessing.

"I did save quite a few people, but in exchange, hatred and jealousy filled my heart."

 _Hitomi._

 _Kyousuke_

 _Madoka._

 _Mitakihara._

 _Myself._

"It got so bad, I even hurt my best friend." She could feel her gem reacting to her sorrow. Something was just waiting to get out, for her to emotionally break.

"Sayaka, your-"

 _Don't bother saving me._

"For all the happiness you wish to someone, someone else gets cursed with equal misery."

 _Hitomi._

 _Kyousuke._

 _Madoka._

 _Mitakihara._

 _Myself._

"That's how it works for all magical girls, and it's how it worked for me." She felt the teardrop escape her eyes, her soul gem now a wildfire that endlessly consumed her sorrow.

"I was so stupid."

Her teardrop landed with a light drip onto the swirling mass she had doomed herself to bring into the world, barely audible and yet more impactful than anything she could have ever hoped to accomplish in her lifetime.

In an instant, a plethora of images passed through Sayaka's mind.

A concert of pure magnificent chaos unfolded before her eyes, directed by a being that needed to introduction for her. It really was the cruelest irony that not even she could've ever hoped to understand, becoming the one thing she had sworn to destroy, giving up everything she had to do it: her sanity, her hopes, her ambitions.

Her friends.

Her happiness.

Her life…

Sayaka Miki's life ended with a shatter and the formation of an unspeakable demon resting within her.

* * *

Or so she thought.

Sayaka opened her eyes and took in the world around her. Blackness stretched far into the distance, infinitely expansive.

She was also in a chair.

Frantically, Sayaka reached into her pocket and pulled out her gem. Sparkling blue.

"How…"

"Hey, you done daydreaming over there?"

She looked up from her gem to see a girl. She dressed in blue with a skirt that was way too short for her. Blue boots sat over her feel, and her hair was done in what she could only describe as a ring.

When she finally had her attention, she cleared her throat.

"I am the goddess Aqua. Sayaka Miki, you lived an honorable life. I watched over you with great interest as you courageously fought for everything you believed in. I'm sure your family would be proud of you…"

Sayaka didn't know what to say. Someone had been looking over her?

"Th-thank you. It's nice to-"

"...If you weren't such a massive moron, that is." She interrupted with a _really_ temptingly punchable smile plastered over her face.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Sayaka asked, throwing herself up from her seat. It didn't occur to her that she was standing in water.

"So, you really are an idiot after all. I knew those final words spoke truth."

"Don't mock me. Answer my damn question."

"Well, where do you want me to begin? You gave the man of your dreams up to your friend because you couldn't find the courage to talk to him after risking your entire well being for him, and _just_ when I thought you would swing the other way with the red haired chick, you turn her down too. Does nothing satisfy you?"

"Are you done?" She annoyedly asked.

Aqua just laughed in her face.

"Not even close. We haven't even started on your "I'll protect everyone" personality, but we can get back to that later."

 _Could we not?_

Sayaka's mind jolted to life, pulling out the gem and showing it to her.

"Oh, that. Yeah, your kind always makes my job difficult. Had to scrape that from the blackness that was that...thing. You still have your magic, though, so that's a nice little advantage. Still undead though." She seemed to shudder at the last sentence, forcing herself to get it out.

"In any case, I'm supposed to offer you two choices: either I can take you to heaven, or I can bring you into a fantasy world of adventure where you must work to beat the demon king"

"Fantasy world?" Sayaka questioned. "And don't change the subject. What do you mean by 'my kind'?

"You should know exactly what I mean by that. They're always the same, except they're all smarter than you were."

"Are you...naked under that skirt?" Sayaka tilted her head, trying to get a better look.

"Perverted, too. You really are awful. It's no wonder you died like you did."

Aqua took a deep breath.

"Now, in this fantasy world, you will be able to fight the demon king. It's very popular and, as a token of my kindness, I will let you take one item with you into this world."

"Anything?" She asked. She felt herself mind wander, deciding whether it was truly worth it.

"Yes. Anything you wish. I'd strongly recommend that redhead you're so attached to, but I'm running real short on time here, so just pick something and get out of my sight, you undead idiot."

"In that case..." she proudly stated "I guess you're coming along for the ride with me." A blue gate appeared below the two of them and it only took a moment for Aqua's panic to set in.

"Hey, this isn't funny. Look, if you're mad about me bringing up the redhead, I didn't know it would spark such a nerve. Look, you can take whatever else you want with you, just please don't take me." Aqua was pounding on the barrier, desperate to be released.

Meanwhile, Sayaka could do nothing but laugh.

"Who's the idiot now, huh? Who?"

Soon enough, the world around them vanished, and the pair found themselves falling into the world below.

* * *

The pair appeared outside a large building in the center of town. She had been right: The city very much resembled a fantasy town she had imagined when she was younger. People went about their lives along the streets. Adventurers adventured, shopkeepers sold, workers worked. It really was a paradise.

"Hey, little lady."

She looked to her left to see Aqua hunched over. If it weren't for the fact that she could see her face, she would've assumed her to be sick.

"Hm? What do you want?" She asked blankly.

"You can't just drag me down to a world like this and then forget about me. What kind of cruel human being are you to do something so evil? Please, take me back. Get me away from here. I want to go hoooooome." The girl bawled her eyes out on the ground, leaving Sayaka no time to think.

 _This was a mistake._

"You're not the only one who wants to return you back to your little chair in the clouds, so stop whining."

Aqua stopped bawling her eyes.

"How dare you talk to a goddess like that. I am invaluable to your survival. You'd probably be dead within a day if it weren't for me. Now, do me a favor, do something useful, and get me out of here. I don't want to be here."

 _Someone kill me...someone kill me...someone kill me...someone kill me…_

No wait.

 _Someone kill her...someone kill her...someone kill her...someone kill her…_

"What are you doing just standing there?" Aqua asked condescendingly. "Do something useful."

"Fine." She yelled out. "There's a big building over there. Why don't we go there?"

Aqua took a quick look at where she was pointing.

"Oh, that's the guild. While you go register on your fun little adventurer job, I'll go get myself some booze. I would offer you some, but you're too young, aren't you?"

Sayaka slowly walked towards the guild building, the girl on her back starting to feel like more of a literal weight on her shoulders than an actual help.

"Come on, walk faster. We don't have all day."

This was gonna be a long lifetime...


	2. Chapter 2

The guildhouse greeted Sayaka with a whiff of booze, food, sweat, and other scents she couldn't name. Various tables sat a variety of adventurers, shopkeepers, and civilians alike, all going about their lives with joy and spirit. She put her hand to the wooden walls, and they had a very aged feel to them, the stories of brave heroes probably resting within their secrets.

If someone were to mention a guild back in Mitakihara, this is what her mind would come up with.

 _Mitakihara…_

A sudden depressing feeling washed over Sayaka. Nobody would know that she died and came here. Kyouko was probably grieving for her, and that bitch of a transfer student would more than likely call her weak for it.

Kyousuke and Hitomi as well. She wondered how their relationship was going. If it worked out in the end. If it would ever work out. Then again, there was no use thinking about any of that. Both of them seemed happy to be together.

Then there was Madoka. She would most definitely be devastated, but the fact that she hadn't resurrected her means that someone had calmed her down. It was one fact she had been thankful for: She wasn't sure she could live in that world anyways, and the idea of Madoka wasting her wish on her would only send her further into despair.

"Sa-ya-ka"

What could only be described as an unending burning feeling coursed across her back. She looked behind her to find Aqua, face flushed, carrying a pitcher of beer.

"You're drunk. We walked into the guild 30 seconds ago and you're already drunk." She stated, half laughing, half on the verge of despairing. She took a quick look down at her soul gem. Still a pure blue.

Aqua tilted her head, but only after taking another inhuman drink.

"The hell ya talkin about? You been standin at the door 10 minutes."

 _I've been daydreaming for 10 minutes?_ She thought before mentally shaking her head. _No, that's not the point._

"Why the hell are you drunk already? How much did you drink?"

"Los count. I think something or other."

She went to ask more questions, but Aqua was already stumbling back to the bar for more.

She had a point, though, even if she didn't mean to. She couldn't just stand here all day and wait for something to happen. She came here for a reason. Sayaka walked to the back of the guild where a small registration desk sat peacefully.

"Hi, I'd like to register as an adventurer. Is this where I have to do it?"

The girl at the counter looked up at her with curiosity, and it occurred to her how ridiculous she probably looked in her magical girl outfit. Still, she seemed to dismiss it, returning to her original question.

"Yes, this is the place. I can gauge your stats and register you as an adventurer, or whatever you want to be."

"I see. Like a game?"

She turned her head in confusion.

"Game?" She asked curiously. "Well, nevermind. It shouldn't take too long. Just wait one moment."

Sayaka took a momentary look at Aqua at the bar, at the girl who would be her companion probably for life. Maybe she could learn to accept this, and maybe. Just maybe…

"We have your results."

The girl handed her a small card and prepared to read the results.

"Well, your strength and vitality are unmatched, and your magical abilities are through the roof." She felt a twinge of pride, but the girl seemed to continue to stare at her, probably wondering how a girl like her ended up with stats like she had. It didn't matter, of course. She had no obligation to explain her demonic contract. Not that anyone would believe her anyways.

She continued.

"Your speed and defense are a little farther behind, but still pretty high. Your intelligence and luck, on the other hand-"

Sayaka stared daggers into her, daring the woman to continue.

"-are somewhat the same, I guess. Not the highest, but I'm sure you'll be fine."

She looked down at the card, her card, and found herself smiling. It wasn't something she had the chance to do too often, not in her old life.

" _I don't need my old life." She mentally stated to herself. "This is a fresh start, a new beginning, a new adventure. Free of my old problems."_

Aqua tapped her on the shoulder from behind, the same burning sensation falling onto her. She turned to face her, finding her still drunk, but panicked. Aware.

"Aqua, listen. I'm sorry about how I talked to you earlier. You may be an idiot, but I'm sure we can get along. In fact, why don't you register? I want to see what you're capable of."

Aqua seemed to ignore her.

"Yeah, yeah. That's great, but I already did. We have to go, though. Like, right now."

She went to ask when she could've possibly registered, but more important thoughts came out of her mouth.

"What do you mean we need to go? We just got here."

"No, I'm telling you-"

"Hey" A voice behind Aqua called. Sayaka looked off to see 2 men approaching her. "You think you can just run off like that? You need to pay."

Sayaka's expression quickly fell flat.

"You...do have money, right?"

"N...no, but I told them I'd pay for them later. One drink lead to another, and more people were asking, so I kind of offered to pay for everyone's drinks."

"How much did you buy?" She asked, a little more than annoyed.

"A lot. Can you bail me out of this?" She looked into Sayaka's eyes, carrying a look that caused her to fall to the floor.

"You want me to bail you out? I've been in this world for no less than half an hour and you're already making it a miserable hell. Why don't you go and pay for it yourself? Why do _I_ need to be the responsible one here?" She responded with a glare that caused Aqua to back up.

"It...they asked so-"

"No. You are a goddamn airheaded moron that can't accomplish the simplest of tasks without getting into trouble. Do I need to put a leash on you? Hell, give me ONE reason that I should stay with you." She made a move to draw her sword, but her arms were restrained by two adventurers grabbing a hold of her.

"Listen, I know you're probably not gonna listen to me, but you shouldn't fight each other. Not here." One of them said. "Just put away the sword and I'm sure you can calmly think this over."

Sayaka withdrew her sword, but didn't stop approaching the panicked goddess on the ground.

"The only reason I'm not going further is so that I don't endanger the rest of the people in this room. Keep this in mind, idiot. Your safety is REALLY dependant on how I'm feeling, and if you had any knowledge of the situation I was in before you met me, you would know not to piss me off. Understand?"

She made the motion of a slight nod, now on the verge of really crying.

All Sayaka could do was sigh.

"Now, we're gonna have to pay off this debt, right? What's the easiest way of doing that?"

The girl stood up and gestured to a small board at the back of the guild.

"I heard that's the quest board. I'm sure it shouldn't be too hard to figure out."

Sayaka went to give her a slap across the face, but managed to resist. Instead, she made her way to the board and attempted to pick out a quest. She pulled one off the wall, examining it's contents.

"Hey, Aqua. All we need to do here is kill a few frogs. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Don't think so." She looked at the page, softly nodding her head and handing it back to Sayaka. "Yes, this should be more than enough to pay. It'll give me a chance to see you in action and decide if you're worthy of being around me."

"Really dependant on pissing me off. Remember?"

"Hey, I'm just saying." She responded with a smug look painted over her face. Aqua made her way out the door with Sayaka in tow for the ride.

Sayaka fished through her pockets for her soul gem, expecting it to be a dark black.

Instead, she still found it to be sky blue, as if she had been holding it in her hand for the first time. She thought to say something to Aqua, even going so far as to almost stop her to explain it, but instead lowered it back into her pocket and continued along.

Better if she didn't notice.

* * *

"Hey, Aqua."

The girl turned her head from the sky to face Sayaka, who continued to examine her card.

"Yeah? What do you need?"

"You said that you had already gotten your stats, right? Well, I just wanted to know what you got."

"Oh, all my stats were maxed. I'm a goddess, after all. They wouldn't take that as a title, though, so I went with arch-priest."

Sayaka was simply speechless.

"All stats maxed."

"Yep."

"Everything."

"Uh huh."

"Including your…"

"Magical strength? Of course. Is that even a question?"

"No, not at all…"

Aqua stopped on the top of a grassy hill and began surveying her surroundings.

"Alright. I'll check in any lakes or puddles. You check under any rocks you can find." She said. "Shouldn't be too hard." Sayaka stated in return.

She began moving, searching rock after rock to find nothing. Just worms, grubs, dirt, and whatever was growing under them. She dug up another one, attempting to use the sun to see any that might be small enough to find.

The everything went dark.

She went to turn herself, but was paralyzed by the feeling of slime coursing along her back, followed by more dripping overtop of her head. She slowly moved a little further, catching the eye of a frog about 5 or 6 times bigger than she was.

"S-so...you're our quest, huh?"

The frog didn't move.

"Listen, I-I don't want to make this painful, so back down now or face-"

Within one swift moment, she was upside down, covered top to bottom in slime, and upside down.

Sayaka summoned a sword, stabbing the monster with all she had, to no avail. Instead, she wound up with slime in her eyes, mouth, and everything that wasn't immediately protected. Still, stabbing the damn thing was all she had, so she continued to furiously stab while attempting not to puke. Puking was one thing. Puking on someone is another. Puking IN a monster that could just as easily return the favor was something else entirely, and was sure as hell not something she was too keen on dealing with.

"Die, you piece of shit." She screamed. Her legs began to sink through, and she felt something that turned her face bright red. She stabbed at it more and more, beginning to laugh in the process.

"Yes...this brings back memories. How I've missed this feeling." Soon enough, she felt the body collapse to the ground and her along with it. She lifted the thing's mouth wide open, slowly walking to find Aqua.

 _What the hell…_

Her steps were slow and cautious, as not to fall over, but soon found herself able to walk much more easily.

"Aqua...I killed one of them. How are you doing?"

Another massive frog hopped towards her from the distance. She had no intention to let it live at this point. She walked up to it, the monster giving her a curious glance. Sayaka pulled a sword from the air, the blade not even having finished developing before it found itself in the skin of the creature. It howled in pain, or made the closest approximation to one, spitting more slime over her. She let go, conjuring another and repeating the process. Again and again, she continued all around the monster in a circle from head to tail and back to the head. Soon enough, it was on the ground, and a familiar blue haired goddess crawled out.

"You could've killed me with one of those, you know. Be more careful."

Rather than get angry, she put away her sword and grabbed her slimy hand.

"Come on. We can take care of the rest of these things tomorrow. For now, I think I need a break to think over everything." Sayaka stated, exasperated.

"Where are we gonna sleep? We have no money."

"There's an old abandoned barn I saw on the way here. If you don't mind, it's probably the best we'll have for a while."

Aqua seemed to think this over for a moment.

"Alright, but just until we find something better."

Sayaka slowly walked forward, her shakiness now completely gone from her. She would be lying to say she wasn't worried, but somehow, she felt everything would be alright.

Aqua raided her hands into the air in cheer, splattering slime everywhere on her face that hadn't dried off.

She hoped...


End file.
